The
quantity of natural rubber (NR) imported in to India during the last three years
is as under:-
Import of Natural Rubber
|
Year
|
Quantity in Tonne
|
|
2011-12
|
214,433
|
|
2012-13
|
262,753
|
|
2013-14
|
360,263
|
|
2014-15 (Up to January 2015)
|
359,857
|
Natural
rubber is imported because of domestic production falling short of total
consumption by the domestic industry. While the domestic prices of rubber have
fallen during the last year, partly due to the impact of low rubber prices in
the international market, the domestic prices of NR have continued to be higher
than the international price of NR. The details in this regard are given
below:-
Price
of Natural Rubber (Rs/Kg)
|
|
Sheet rubber
|
Block rubber
|
Latex (60% drc)
|
|
Year
|
Domestic
(RSS
4 Kottayam)
|
Intl
(RSS 3 Bangkok)
|
Domestic
(ISNR
20 Kottayam)
|
Intl
(SMR 20
Kuala Lumpur)
|
Domestic
(Kottayam)
|
Intl
(Kuala Lumpur)
|
|
2009-10
|
114.98
|
111.13
|
107.86
|
105.82
|
78.98
|
71.93
|
|
2010-11
|
190.03
|
195.55
|
179.76
|
176.00
|
123.00
|
120.94
|
|
2011-12
|
208.05
|
209.15
|
201.30
|
195.02
|
128.18
|
129.75
|
|
2012-13
|
176.82
|
175.76
|
168.17
|
160.89
|
117.72
|
111.64
|
|
2013-14
|
166.02
|
155.25
|
156.43
|
137.14
|
123.32
|
101.06
|
|
Dec.2014
|
119.82
|
102.28
|
100.79
|
92.33
|
81.63
|
66.19
|
|
15th
Feb 2015
|
138.25
|
115.21
|
|
|
82.40
|
66.61
|
The
Government has taken steps to regulate imports by increasing the duty on import
of dry rubber from “20% or Rs. 20 per kg whichever is lower” to “20% or Rs. 30
per kg whichever is lower” from 20 December 2013. Monthly price of RSS4 grade
rubber have stated increasing from December 2014. Government has also reduced
the period
of utilization under advance licensing scheme for import of rubber from 18 months
to 6 months. An ‘Expert Committee’ consisting of representatives from rubber
producers/growers, state governments, rubber consumers and user industry,
central government and other stakeholders is functioning to examine issues
related to rubber production, development, consumption and exports and suggest
a ‘National Policy on Rubber’.
Department
of Commerce has advised the Department of Revenue on 10.12.2014 to
enhance/revise import duty on dry forms of Natural Rubber (HS 400121, 400122,
400129) from existing 20% or Rs. 30 per kg whichever is lower to 25% vide this
department’s OM dated 10.12.2014.
This information
was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of
Commerce & Industry Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha
today.
******
RC